Page 18 of Max's Mission

Max was built differently. Letting her down, letting anyone down, wasn’t something he would ever voluntarily do. In the last year, he’d proven time and again he’d stand by her side. That he’d give up his time and even put his health on the line to take care of her and the girls.

She shouldn’t be surprised at the connection they’d formed. Or that he was so attuned to her.

Drawing on the calmness Max exuded, she drew in another deep, steadying breath and squeezed his hands. “I’m okay,” she whispered.

Feeling stronger, she turned to the detective. “I’m sorry. It’s just a bit of a shock.”

“I understand. I’m sorry for your loss. Do you want me to continue?”

“Yes. Please. I want to know what happened.”

He nodded once. “All right. So, when we got your ex-husband’s body back to the medical examiner’s office, the M.E. noted what looked like several stab wounds to the chest area of his clothing. He was wrapped tightly enough to keep his remains together, but not tightly enough to prevent small aquatic animals from getting in. Between them and the bacteria that are responsible for decay, the M.E. couldn’t match any wounds on the body to the holes in the shirt. He did, however, find a small nick on a rib.”

Margot sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “I don’t understand. Why would someone want to stab Tad? He was a nice guy.”

“Even though he left you with no warning?”

“I didn’t say there wasn’t any warning.”

“What exactly happened between you two?” Gallagher asked.

Margot looked away, gathering her thoughts. She’d tried not to think about the end of her marriage too much. At first, it was just too painful. Later, it became something she didn’t want to dwell on because she’d rather just move on.

“Early last year, he changed.” She dabbed at the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, wiping away the moisture that had formed, then met Gallagher’s gaze. “I can’t really pinpoint a time or an event, but he just… changed. He became more withdrawn from me and the girls and spent more time away from home. I thought maybe he was cheating, you know? That’s what a woman typically thinks when her husband says he has to work late again and again, right? Particularly after you talk to his boss and discover he was barely finishing out his shifts. According to his division chief, Tad would leave as soon as humanly possible. But I wouldn’t see him at home until hours later.”

“Did you ever ask your husband about it?” Detective Sorenson asked.

She swung her gaze to him. “Only about the lateness. Before I talked to his chief. Tad told me it was research keeping him at work late. But his chief said he didn’t know of any projects Tad was working on. That’s when he mentioned he’d been practically running out of the hospital at the end of each shift. Tad left before I could work up the courage to ask why he lied.”

“Dr. Gaultier, could you tell us about your ex-husband?” Gallagher asked.

Tipping her head, she frowned. “That’s a broad question, Agent Gallagher. I can tell you a lot of things. Where would you like me to start?”

“What was he like? Did he have any hobbies or interests?”

“Tad is—was”—God, how could he be dead?—“on the quieter side. He was kind. Smart. A good dad. The girls adored him. As far as hobbies go, he liked to golf and play basketball.”

Gallagher glanced up from taking notes. “Did he have friends he played with regularly?”

“A few.”

“Did any of them ever notice anything was wrong? Maybe he confided in them that he planned to leave,” the agent continued.

“If he did, they didn’t say anything to me. But I haven’t had much contact with his friends since he left. A lot of them didn’t know, either. He ghosted everyone, not just me.”

The two men looked at each other, doing that silent talking thing again. This time, Margot didn’t mind as much. She could read their look. It said they were as perplexed by Tad’s behavior as she was.

“Dr. Gaultier, did your ex have any habits that others would… look down on? Like drinking or drugs? Gambling?” Gallagher asked.

Margot started to shake her head, then paused and looked at Max.

“What?” Sorenson said. “What did he say?”

It was her turn to do some silent communicating. She wasn’t sure how much info they should give the authorities about Asher’s activities.

Max understood her dilemma and answered for her.

“We have a friend who is very good at sourcing information.” He laid a hand on the table and tapped his fingers softly. “When Tad left, this friend dug into Margot’s and Tad’s finances and found that Tad had opened several credit cards and maxed them all out. The address statements went to a P.O. box in the city they lived in, so Margot never knew about any of it. Our friend also checked Margot’s credit and her daughters’. Luckily, he left all of them alone.”

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